Food sharing tables are being introduced to all Appleton Area School District cafeterias starting January 22, 2019.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, up to 40% of food produced in America is wasted, amounting to 31 million tons of food added to landfills each year. In an effort to reduce food waste in schools, the Appleton Area District will begin implementing food sharing tables in all school cafeterias starting on January 22.

Sharing tables are an innovative strategy to encourage the consumption of nutritious foods and reduce food waste in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

A share table is an area where students may return whole food or beverage items they choose not to eat, but only if in compliance with local and state health and food safety codes and the District’s standard operating procedure module #34 – Use of Sharing Tables.

Students can leave unwanted food or drinks at a designated station where others can help themselves. These items must be from the district's food service program and not food brought from home. The food that is placed on the sharing tables can be unopened, prepackaged goods including milk, whole fruits, and vegetables, or bags of chips and crackers.

The food that remains on the table at the end of the breakfast or lunch hour may be picked up by the school nurse for use or will be donated to a local group such as the Salvation Army.

The food sharing table initiative, backed by the Department of Agriculture, is trending nationally. It’s intended to feed kids in need while saving nutritious, usable food from landfills.

Food components not recommended for sharing:
• Unpackaged items, such as salad without a lid
• Packaged items that have been opened
• Perishable foods

What if my child has a food allergy?

Please discuss the risk with your child and make sure they understand your expectation for participation. We cannot guarantee that your child will not pick something that he/she has an allergy to. Therefore, it is recommended that a child with food allergies does not take items from the share table for their safety.